lifestyle

Rethink Your Heating Strategy With These Tips

The Met Office has revealed that Tuesday evening was the coldest January night since 2019, so have you got an effective heating strategy in place to combat the cold snap?

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Help heat your home for longer thanks to Utility Bidder, who have shared six ways homeowners can heat their homes for longer this winter, whilst keeping energy costs as low as possible.

1 - Utilise daylight

The UK often experiences spells of bright sun throughout the autumn and winter months, so it’s important to use this to your advantage. Make sure all curtains and blinds are fully open so that the light projected by the sun can help to heat up different rooms within the house.

2 - Strategically place furniture

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to last all of the autumn and winter months without putting the heat on, so to use as little energy as possible, make sure there are no items of furniture such as a sofa in front of the radiator, as this will soak up the majority of the heat. Instead, leave the radiators exposed in order for it to heat the whole room.

3 - Make the most of shower steam

When taking a hot shower, you’ll often find the bathroom becomes filled with steam which in turn produces heat. Before taking a shower, leave the bathroom door open so that some of the steam and heat warms the surrounding areas of the home, which will hopefully leave you feeling warmer for longer.

4 - Place curtains behind the radiator

When radiators within the home are turned on, it’s important to not allow the curtains to cover the radiator, as this will direct the heat towards the window. Instead, make sure the radiator is exposed by gently placing the curtains behind the radiator, which will help to heat the entire room.

5 - Keep out any drafts

It may sound simple but any areas exposed to drafts can bring in cold air and let warm air out. With this in mind, make sure all doors and a draft excluder at the bottom of them and don’t forget about pet flaps and letter boxes. If you can, fixing your letter box so that any drafts can’t enter the home will have a big impact.

6 - Keep internal doors closed

If you’re going from one room to another within your house, it can be easy to forget to close internal doors when you are no longer in the room. As soon as doors are opened, the heat inside the specific room will naturally flow out, meaning the room temperature will drop. To avoid this, make sure to close all internal doors behind you.

James Longley, Managing Director, at Utility Bidder, has commented on the steps homeowners can take to help heat their homes for longer as cold weather hits the UK:

“Temperatures have plummeted across the UK in recent weeks, and many Brits will feel the urge to switch their heating on, but with energy costs still a worry for many homeowners, making your heating go further has never been so important”.

“With this in mind, we wanted to share some small hacks homeowners can incorporate into their daily lives in the hope that they can heat their homes for longer, without seeing their energy bills increase drastically.

“Simple tips such as knowing where to place furniture in your home, leaving the bathroom door open when showering, and allowing as much sunlight in as possible throughout the day will enable people to feel warmer for longer.”

"These small changes and habits can go a long way to heating your home cost-effectively, especially where finances provide uncertainty ahead of the festive period. Nevertheless, you can only do so much to keep energy bills low over autumn and winter, especially with the hours shortening in the day and the need for unnatural light and heating in the home more often.

"Other tips to keep in mind include checking your gas and heating systems during the colder months and getting any servicing that is required booked in. The use of a thermostat is also important, and the temperature should always be kept at least between 10°C to 15°C to avoid frozen pipes in the coldest spells - especially if you are away from the property.”